1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is generally related to surveillance and security systems for monitoring commercial transports such as aircraft or over-the-road vehicles, transportation transports and terminals, such as aircraft and airports, and emergency response vehicles and personnel. In the case of airborne operations, aircraft and airport surveillance and security is provided while the aircraft is in the air, on the ground and at the terminal. For all types of transports and terminals, the invention is specifically directed to electronic safety and surveillance systems comprising a comprehensive multi-media security surveillance and response system on a transportation platform when in motion and from the vicinity of the transportation platform when it is near or at its destination. The invention is adapted for collecting critical event data and for assessing the location and type of event for distributing the information to key response personnel based on location and capability. The invention can be utilized for: 1) preventing critical and catastrophic events, 2) for managing the emergency during such an event, and 3) for investigation support after the occurrence of such an event.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Security of transports such as aircraft, buses, trains and the like and facilities such as airports, schools, banks, arenas and the like has been a topic of increasing concern in recent years. Over the past few years, a number of violent incidents including hijackings, bombings, shootings, arson, and hostage situations have occurred. The loss of life and property has reached extraordinary levels mandating increased levels of security.
In addition, with increasing numbers of private and commercial flights occurring, larger numbers of incidents and accidents are happening. The causes of many of these events, particularly those that have catastrophic outcomes such as mid-air explosions and crashes, remain unknown. Recovery operations and investigations can be exceedingly costly with uncertain outcome. Such investigations have cost fifty to one hundred million dollars or more such as the investigation of the TWA-800 mid-air explosion and crash in 1996 and the Swiss Air Flight 111 crash off Nova Scotia in 1998. The lack of totally conclusive evidence has left the victims families without closure, has set the ground for enormously expensive and complex litigation on the matter, and has not allowed preventative measures to be taken.
Electronic systems already have greatly enhanced the safety record of commercial aircraft. Global tracking systems are now in place to monitor the flight of the aircraft. Radar and global positioning systems are commonplace. All of these electronic systems have increased the ability to track performance of an aircraft from the moment it lifts off until it safely lands. In addition, onboard avionics include monitoring and diagnostic equipment, particularly on large commercial jets. This continues to evolve, giving both the onboard crew and the tracking station more complete, accurate and up-to-date information regarding the condition of the aircraft while in flight.
Flight recorders also long have been incorporated in order to provide a record of each flight and in order to provide critical information to aid in the determination of the causes of an accident or malfunction should one occur. In the prior art systems, typically two flight recorders are utilized, one for voice (commonly called the “cockpit voice recorder”) and one for data (commonly called the “flight data recorder”). Transducers, sensors and other monitoring equipment are hardwired to the onboard “black box” data recorders and to various display panels in the cockpit. The voice data recorder collects cockpit audio and radio communications. While the data collected and transmitted by this equipment provides useful real-time information to the flight crew and is useful in reconstructing the cause and effect of catastrophic incidents, the systems of the prior art have shortcomings reducing the effectiveness of the data.
Typically, the systems of the prior art will stop collecting data once there has been a structural failure of the airframe or a disruption in aircraft power. This is because the transmission of power to the collectors is disrupted or because the aircraft power source ceases to operate. This precludes the collection and transmission of critical data at the very moment when it is most critical, i.e., at the moment when and the time after a catastrophic event occurs.
Prior-art systems also just collect data for post-event analysis. Flight Data Recorders are subject to damage or loss as a result of the catastrophic event, thus the critical information needed to determine the cause of the incident is lost. Further, with these systems there is no mechanism for automated real-time “event detection” and notification, nor is there any manner for the crew of the transport to “trigger” the system to provide notification of an emergency situation to operations and response personnel.
It would be highly desirable to be able to “see” inside the airplane cabin and cockpit as events unfold, in order to assess the event and to plan for an appropriate response. Prior art systems do not have the capability of collecting and relaying such information, and further, are not ‘intelligent’ in the modem sense; they merely provide an ‘ON/OFF’ indication or analog meter readings to the centralized monitoring system.
The implementation of onboard sensor systems are not ‘networked’ in the modem sense; they are generally hard-wired to the centralized monitoring system via a ‘current loop’ or similar arrangement, and do not provide situational data other than their ON/OFF or meter status. Networked “appliance” architecture for sensors, including wireless appliances, would provide an improved capability of monitoring transport conditions.
Air-to-ground transmission of video from an aircraft to the ground currently is limited to specialized applications of short distance line-of-sight transmission of video airborne observation and broadcast, search and rescue, drug interdiction, surveillance and reconnaissance, navigation safety, border and maritime patrol. A typical installation would be one utilized for ENG (Electronic New Gathering) applications consisting of a single television camera or a single specialized sensor device such as a FLIR (Forward Looking InfraRed) night vision sensor or a dual day/night sensor mounted on a helicopter. FLIR Systems, Inc. manufactures and installs a wide varied of these systems, for example. These installations traditionally are standard broadcast video format analog video sensors (NTSC, PAL, or SECAM) which are transmitted on wireless analog transmitters such as FM UHF or microwave line-of-site transmitters from the air to a ground receiver. Limitations of these systems are the limited number of channels available, bandwidth requirement and short operating range, such as coverage over a single metropolitan area. This technology is unusable for high-speed aircraft traveling at high altitudes and covering a large terrain.
Military systems for image and video reconnaissance and transmission are also in operation, such as the PhotoTelesis Corporation FTI (Fast Tactical Imaging) systems and PRISM systems utilized on the F-14, F-16, F/A 18, Apache, OH-58D and other military aircraft. These systems also provide capability of transmitting images or “step-video” captured from military FLIR systems. The typical transmission media is either line-of-sight VHF or UHF military radios, or UHF military tactical satellite. Air-to-ground or air-to-air transmission of images can be accomplished. Although the military systems can transmit images over long distances utilizing military satellites, the limitations on this system prevent transmission of full-motion images and prevent transmission over commercial circuits because of the specialized nature of the military radios and encryption devices that are utilized.
Video surveillance systems in common use today are ground based systems and are particularly dated—they are generally of low capability, using analog signals conveyed over coaxial or, occasionally, twisted-pair cabling to the centralized local monitoring facility. Such visual information is generally archived on magnetic tape using analog video recorders. Further, such systems generally do not have the ability to ‘share’ the captured video, and such video is generally viewable only on the system control console.
Prior art systems have typically employed analog cameras, using composite video at frame rates at the standard 30 frames/second. Many such systems have been monochrome systems, which are less costly and provide marginally better resolution with slightly greater sensitivity under poor lighting conditions than current analog color systems. Traditional video cameras have used CCD or CMOS area sensors to capture the desired image. The resolution of such cameras is generally limited to the standard CCTV 300–350 lines of resolution, and the standard 480 active scan lines.
Such cameras are deployed around the area to be observed, and are connected to a centralized monitoring/recording system via coaxial cable or, less often, twisted-pair (UTP) wiring with special analog modems. In rare cases they are connected with fiber optics by utilizing fiber optic video modulators and demodulators. The signals conveyed over such wiring are almost universally analog, composite video. Base-band video signals are generally employed, although some such systems modulate the video signals onto an RF carrier, using either AM or FM techniques. In each case, the video is subject to degradation due to the usual causes—cross talk in the wiring plant, AC ground noise, interfering carriers, distance limitations, and so on.
More recently, a few security cameras have employed video compression technology, enabling the individual cameras to be connected to the centralized system via telephone circuits. Due to the bandwidth constraints imposed by the public-switched telephone system, such systems are typically limited to low-resolution images, or low frame rates, or both.
Other more modern cameras have been designed for “web cam” use on the Internet. These often low cost cameras use digital techniques for transmission, however their use for security surveillance is limited by low resolution and by slow refresh rates. These cameras are also designed for use by direct connection to PC's, such as by Printer, USB or Firewire Ports. Thus, for a security system, the installation cost and effectiveness is limited with the unwieldy restriction of requiring a PC at each camera.
Each of these prior-art systems suffers functional disadvantages. The composite video/coaxial cable approach provides full-motion video but can only convey it to a local monitoring facility. The low-bit rate approach can deliver the video signal to a remote monitoring facility, but only with severely degraded resolution and frame rate. Neither approach has been designed to provide access to any available video source from several monitoring stations.
Another commonplace example is the still-image compression commonly used in digital cameras. These compression techniques may require several seconds to compress a captured image, but once done the image has been reduced to a manageably small size, suitable for storage on inexpensive digital media (e.g., floppy disk) or for convenient transmission over an inexpensive network connection.
Prior-art surveillance systems have been oriented towards single-point centralized monitoring of the various cameras. While useful, this approach lacks the functional flexibility possible with more modem networking technologies.
Other hardwired systems have been used, such as fiberoptic cable and the like, but have not been widely accepted primarily due to the higher costs associated with such systems over coaxial cable. Coaxial cable, with all of its limitations, remains the usual system of choice to the present day. Also available are techniques using less expensive and common twisted pair cable such as that commonly used for distribution of audio signals such as in telephone or office intercom applications. This cable is often referred to as UTP (twisted pair) or STP (shielded twisted pair) cable. Both analog and digital techniques have been implemented. This general style of twisted pair cable (but in a more precise format) is also widely used in Local Area Networks, or LAN's, such as the 10 Base-T Ethernet system, 100 Base-T, 1000 Base-T (also called “gigibit Ethernet) and the like. Newer types of twisted pair cable have been developed that have lower capacitance and more consistent impedance than the early telephone wire. These newer types of cable, such as “Category 5” wire, are better suited for higher bandwidth signal transmission and are acceptable for closed circuit video applications with suitable special digital interfaces. By way of example, typical analog audio voice signals are approximately 3 kilohertz in bandwidth, whereas typical analog video television signals are 3 megahertz in bandwidth or more. Even with the increased bandwidth capability of this twisted pair cable, the video signals at base-band (uncompressed) can typically be distributed directly over twisted pair cable only a few hundred feet. In order to distribute video over greater distances, video modulators and demodulators are inserted between the camera and the twisted pair wiring and again between the twisted pair wiring and the monitor. Twisted pair cable is lower in cost than coaxial cable and is easier to install. For the longest distances for distribution of video, the video signals are digitally compressed for transmission and decompressed at the receiving end.
Wireless systems utilizing RF energy are also available. Such systems usually consist of a low power UHF transmitter and antenna system compatible with standard television monitors or receivers tuned to unused UHF channels. The FCC allows use of this type of system without a license for very low power levels in the range of tens of milliwatts. This type of system provides an economical link but does not provide transmission over significant distances due to the power constraints placed on the system. It is also highly susceptible to interference due to the low power levels and shared frequency assignments. The advantage of this system over hardwired systems is primarily the ease of installation. However, the cost is usually much higher per unit, the number of channels is limited and system performance can be greatly affected by building geometry or nearby electrical interference. Further, the video is not as secure as hardwired systems. The video may be picked up by anyone having access to the channel while in range of the transmitter and is thus, easily detected and/or jammed.
Another area that is difficult to implement with current closed circuit television systems is the control of lenses, tilt/pan mechanisms, and other video adjustments. Most installations do not attempt this level of control because of the expense of running additional wiring and installing additional controller devices required to control these mechanisms. For example, the installation of an analog camera with a tilt/pan unit and a motorized lens can require multiple cables. A video coax, a large gauge power wire for the camera, a multi-conductor control wire for the tilt/pan and a control wire for the lens can be required. Video adjustments are required to be done internal to the camera, requiring manual intervention at the camera in its installed position. A few companies have provided tilt and pan control multiplexed onto the coaxial video cable utilizing proprietary techniques, but these have not been popular due to the proprietary nature of the method.
Remote control of auxiliary functions become an even more daunting task if the system has to be wireless. All of these various signals then need to combined for transmission and split after reception.
Because of the inherent limitations in the various closed circuit television systems now available, other media have been employed to perform security monitoring over wider areas. This is done with the use of compressors and decompressors used to reduce the bandwidth. Examples include sending compressed video over standard voice bandwidth telephone circuits, or more sophisticated digital telephonic circuits such as frame relay or ISDN circuits and the like. While commonly available and relatively low in cost, each of these circuits is of narrow bandwidth and incapable of carrying “raw” video data such as that produced by a full motion video camera, using rudimentary compression schemes to reduce the amount of data transmitted. As previously discussed, full motion video is typically 2 to 6 megahertz in bandwidth while typical low cost voice data circuits are 3 kilohertz in bandwidth.
There are known techniques for facilitating “full motion” video over common telecommunication circuits. The video teleconferencing (VTC) standards currently in use are: Narrow Band VTC (H.320); Low Bitrate (H.324); ISO-Ethernet (H.322); Ethernet VTC (H.323); ATM VTC (H.321); High Resolution ATM VTC (H.310). Each of these standards has certain advantages and disadvantages depending upon the volume of data, required resolution and costs targets for the system. These are commonly used for video teleconferencing and are being performed at typical rates of 128K, 256K, 384K or 1.544M bit for industrial/commercial use. Internet teleconferencing traditionally is at much lower rates and at a correspondingly lower quality. Internet VTC may be accomplished at 33.6KBPS over dial-up modems, for example, but is of low quality. Video teleconferencing is based on video compression, such as the techniques set forth by CCITT/ISO standards, Internet standards, and proprietary standards. Other, sometimes proprietary, schemes using motion wavelet or motion JPEG compression techniques and the like are also in existence, and MPEG is utilized for high quality video compression. These techniques are not commonly utilized for video conferencing. There are a number of video teleconferencing and video telephone products available for transmitting “full motion” (near real-time) video over these circuits such as, by way of example, systems available from AT&T and Panasonic. While such devices are useful for their intended purpose, they typically are limited in the amount of data which may be accumulated and/or transmitted because they do not rely on or have limited compression. There are also devices that transmit “live” or in near real-time over the Internet, such as QuickCam2 from Connectix, CU-See-Me and Intel products utilizing the parallel printer port, USB port, Firewire port, ISA, PCI card, or PCMCIA card on a laptop computer. Many of these are personal communications systems and do not have the resolution, the refresh rate required or the security required to provide for good surveillance systems. NetMeeting from Microsoft and Proshare software packages from Intel also provide low quality personal image distribution over the Internet.
All of the current low-cost network products have the ability to transmit motion or “live” video. However, such products are limited or difficult, if not impossible, to use for security applications because the resolution and refresh rate (frame rate) of the compressed motion video is necessarily low because of limited resolution of the original sample and the applications of significant levels of video compression to allow use of the low bandwidth circuits. The low resolution of these images will not allow positive identification of persons at any suitable distance from the camera for example. The low resolution would not allow the reading of an automobile tag in another example.
As these devices, particularly digital video cameras and encoders, come in more widespread use within a system, the amount of bandwidth required to transmit continuous, “live” images from an array of cameras is staggering. This is an even greater problem when retrofitting current facilities where it is desired to use current wiring or to incorporate wireless networking techniques. Even where the conduits are of sufficient capacity to handle the data load, storage and retrieval becomes an enormous task. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a system capable of maximizing the information available via a security system while at the same time minimizing transmission and storage requirements.
None of the prior art systems permit structured and controlled notification based on the identification of events as they occur. Even those that do permit some limited notification, for example, alarm systems sending a telephone signal to a monitoring station, do not provide detailed event information. Such systems are more global in configuration, simply sending a notification that an event has occurred at a monitored facility.
With terrorism and sabotage an increasing problem there is significant need to develop an integrated system capable of providing good physical/visual and/or audio surveillance as well as monitoring of the environmental, security and motion conditions of an aircraft, buses, trains, other commercial transports and response vehicles in order to obtain good real-time information of an event as it occurs, and for providing comprehensive information to a variety of response vehicles and personnel to better assist in the real-time response efforts
The system of the subject invention would provide onboard and remote monitoring and reconstruction of events in such areas. The system would also permit the recording of visual information to provide a history for later review, providing yet another source of information for increasing the overall security. The system also provides real-time transmission of information to remote vehicles and personnel, and allows those vehicles to select and process information remotely.
While such a system would be of great benefit to the commercial transport and airline, security and law enforcement and emergency response industries in general and to the commercial airlines in particular, there is not an integrated system currently available adequately meeting these needs.